For the month of February, Crime Stoppers focuses on the issue of Teen Dating Violence (TDV). Also called intimate partner violence, TDV includes physical, psychological, sexual, and electronic abuse, and can happen with a current or former partner.  Teens often think some behaviors, like teasing and name-calling, are a “normal” part of a relationship, but these behaviors can become abusive and develop into serious forms of violence. Other common forms of TDV include: sending repeated and unwanted messages cyberstalking (constantly checking location via social media or another app) pressuring a partner to perform sexual acts or send explicit pictures frequently criticizing and humiliating their partner refusing to take accountability for their bad actions forbidding a partner from talking to certain people spreading rumors about sexual activity going through a partner’s phone without permission Many teens do not report unhealthy behaviors. 33% of adolescents in America experience some form of dating abuse, but only one-third of students experiencing TDV ever report it1. Part of that is due to students not recognizing the forms of abuse they see, but another reason is because of the fear and stigma around being victimized by a partner. At Crime Stoppers, not only do we seek […]

Season 5 of our podcast, The Balanced Voice with Rania Mankarious started today! Episode 57 is the first episode of a multi-part series on the fentanyl crisis in America. In this episode, Rania and this season’s co-host Jennifer interviewed Harris County Sheriff Deputy Leggett about her near-death experience after being exposed to fentanyl while on a service call. Together, they dive into what happened and the immediate action she took that saved her life.     Special thank you to our Season 5 sponsor Flip Lok for making this episode possible. Learn more about Flip Lok at www.fliplok.com.   To request FREE Narcan Nasal Spray, please email scp@crime-stoppers.org.

“They’re taking those photos and they’re manipulating them, creating highly sexualized sometimes pornographic content and then using it for extortion and blackmail.” Crime Stoppers CEO Rania Mankarious speaks to Lauren Talarico on KHOU 11 about how online predators are using kid and teen pictures taken from social media sites like SnapChat and Instagram and manipulating them to extort them. *What should children and parents know about sextortion? Crime Stoppers recommends victims do the following: Stop all commutations. Document everything. Do not give them money or meet any other demands. Report it to the FBI, Internet Crimes Against Children and local officials. Post on social media that this has happened to warn other contacts. Talk honestly with your kids. Watch full story here:

This is why we do what we do. On October 25, on The Roula & Ryan Morning Show on KRBE, the mother of Julian Castro called in to talk her son’s tragic death on June 6, 2022. We have been helping the Castro family since they day he was murdered to help find the senseless suspects who forced their way into his home, shooting and killing him for unknown reasons. Please take a moment to listen to her plea: https://www.facebook.com/CrimeStoppersOfHouston/videos/579518063928733 There is now an increased reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the charging and/or arrest of the suspect(s) in this case. Julian’s family and friends have been devastated by this loss. It has been nearly five months since he was killed, and the killers are still out there. We will continue to help the Castro family, and so many others, seek justice for their loved ones. Call 713-222-TIPS(8477) if you have ANY information.

Every year in October, advocates around the country are busy with activities for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We are invited to speak on panels, give presentations at schools, and provide information to community members at health fairs and other events. We are asked about services for those who are being abused and how one can avoid getting into a relationship with someone who may be abusive. These are important questions that may help some survivors with safety, but they put the responsibility of solving the problem on those who have the least power to do so in the relationship. In the United States, our approach to dealing with domestic violence has largely been reactive and focused on how survivors should behave after violence has been committed against them by someone they love. For example, survivors are often told to leave their partners, call the police, or obtain a protective order, even though doing these things often actually increases their risk of being killed. Additionally, this one-size-fits-all approach does not take into account the experiences of marginalized communities in dealing with the criminal justice or child welfare systems, or the less prosecutable, but very effective, tactics of power and control such […]